Refrigerating apparatus, including an air cooled condenser



Sept. il, 1956 w. H. TEL-:TER 2,762,207

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS, INCLUDING AN AIR COOLED CONDENSER Filed April 2l, 1955 H15* ATTORNEY United States REFRIGERATING APPARATUS, INCLUDING AN AIR COOLED CONDENSER Wilford H. Teeter, Dayton, Ohio, assigner to General Motors Corporation, Eetroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application April 21, 1955, Serial No. 502,789

5 Claims. (Cl. 62-117.4)

My invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to a refrigerating apparatus of the type having an air cooled condenser forming a part of the refrigerating system associated therewith.

More specifically, my invention constitutes an improvement over the structure disclosed in the patent to Sylvester M. Schweller No. 2,483,439, dated October 4, 1949, entitled Refrigerating Apparatus and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

The purpose of employing a hat substantially smooth surface condenser in a refrigerating system associated with a food or produce storage refrigerator cabinet to be installed in groceries and the like, as distinguished from a condenser having a plurality of closely spaced apart cross tins thereon, is to eliminate the necessity of periodically cleansing dust and dirt from a condenser to permit air to ow thereover or through fins thereof whereby the condenser retains its original predetermined cooling and liquefying capacity to maintain a high eiciency of the refrigerating system. Due to many of such refrigerator cabinets being of the type which are relatively short in height the location and proper cooling of a at, substantially smooth, faced condenser of a refrigerating system associated therewith presents a problem. In the disclosure of the patent previously referred to, air circulation over one face only of the plate or wall to which the condenser is secured is obtained. In ythe present disclosure, air is circulated over both faces of a plate to which the condenser conduit is secured to speed up the rate of heat dissipation from the condenser and to insure prolonged high eticiency of a refrigerating system Yassociated with the refrigerator cabinet.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved air cooling arrangement for a substantially at smooth surfaced condenser of a refrigerating system associated with a refrigerator cabinet.

^ Another object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement of a condenser conduit of a refrigerating system on a plate with respect to an air ue or tunnel in which the plate is disposed in a refrigerator cabinet whereby air is circulated through the ue or tunnel in separate distinct streams along and over both faces of the plate for more rapidly removing heat from the condenser to thereby increase the etiiciency of the refrigerating system.

In carrying out the foregoing objects, it is a further and more specific object of my invention to dispose a conduit section of a condenser of a refrigerating system on an inclined portion of a =metal plate, located in an air hue or tunnel beneath a horizontally elongated refrigerator cabinet, and to position the plate centrally within the ue so that the inclined conduit section of the condenser serves to augment the flow of refrigerant cooled and liquefied therein to the outlet thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan View of an ice cream or produce storage refrigerator cabinet having my improvement embodied therein;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the refrigerator cabinet taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l showing an air flue ibeneath the cabinet;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2 and shows a condenser conduit coil secured to a plate located centrally in the air ue of the refrigerator cabinet; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 showing the air ue in the supporting ybase of the refrigerator cabinet.

In order to illustrate my invention, I show in Figure l of the drawings, a refrigerating apparatus of the type commonly referred to as a top opening ice cream or other produce storage refrigerator. These types of refrigerators are rectangular in shape, horizontally elongated and of substantially table height as compared to a vertically Velongated household refrigerator. Such refrigerators are usually installed in groceries and delicatessen stores or the like Where the public frequents and wherein more dust and dirt is ordinarily encountered than is present in a private residence. In refrigerators of this type, it is desirous, in order to eliminate service calls, to employ a condenser for the refrigerating system associated therewith which is substantially flat and smooth so that dirt and dust will not accummulate thereon or therein and clog up portions thereof against flow of air thereover or therethrough. The refrigerator disclosed in Figure 1 comprises a cabinet, generally represented by the reference number 10, having metal walls 11 forming or enclosing a produce storage compartment 12 surrounded by suitableinsulating material 14 (see Figure 2). The insulated walls divide cabinet 10 into the compartment 12 and also into a machine compartment 15. Outer metal wallsV 11 of cabinet 10 extend beyond the insulated Walls of compartment 12 and form closed walls of the machine compartment 15 one of which has a louvered or the like air outlet opening 16 therein. The machine compartment 15 is disposed in the same horizontal plane with the low elongated compartment 12 and extends transversely across one end of cabinet 10 below a shallow portion of the produce storage compartment. A metal liner 22 forms the inner walls of compartment 12 and this compartment is provided with an open top or a plurality of top apertures normally closed by lids or doors 17. A base comprising channel iron members 18 suitably secured together to form a frame like support for supporting cabinet 10 from the floor, indicated by the reference numeral 19, of a room or the like in which the cabinet is installed. The end portion of the channel iron supporting base frame remote from machine compartment 15 is provided with an air inlet opening or openings 21. Channel iron members 18 of the cabinet base space the lower insulated wall of storage compartment 12 from the bottom of the cabinet or from the oor 19 to provide an elongated air hue or tunnel between the oor and the cabinet proper which extends horizontally beneath compartment 12. The other end of this flue or tunnel, opposite the end thereof provided with the opening or openings 21 therein, is in open communication with machine compartment 15. It will be noted that the tunnel beneath storage compartment 12 is of great length as compared to its cross sectional area so as to form a realistic ilue.

A refrigerating system associated with cabinet 10 includes an evaporator 26 in the form of a refrigerant expansion pipe coil wrapped around the exterior of liner Z2 of storage compartment 12, for cooling the interior of this compartment, a refrigerant translating device including a motor, a compressor driven thereby, in the form of a motor-compressor unit 27, and a condenser generally represented by theV reference character 28.

` Evaporator 2o, unit 27 and condenser 2S are'connected in closed circuit relationship by a plurality of conduits. The compressor of the motor-compressor unit 27 withdraws evaporated or gaseous refrigerant from evaporator 26, through a conduit 31, compresses the refrigerant and forwards same, through a conduit 32,'into condenser 2S. Refrigerant cooled and condensed or liqueiied in the condenserv 28 flows, througha liquid refrigerant conduit 33, under the control of a suitable expansion valve or restrictor (not shown), into the evaporator coil 26 where it again evaporates inv removing heat from the produce storage compartment 12. Any suitable or conventional thermostatically actuated switch (not'shown) may be employed for starting and stopping the motor of unit 27 in response to temperatures withincompartment 12. An electric motor 36, having a blower or fan 37 located on its shaft, is mounted in any suitable or conventional manner Within machine compartment and is preferably electrically connected in series with the motor of motor-compressor unit 27 so as to be energized and started in operation and/or stopped simultaneously with starting'and stopping of unit 27 under the control of the thermostatic switch. The fan or blower 37 is disposed so as to force air out of machine compartment 1S through the opening 16 in the one Wall thereof. Condenser 28 preferably comprises a plurality of loops 41 of conduit forming coils extending along the length of and being secured in metal to metal contact with one face of a metal plate 42. Condenser 28 may be strap secured to plate 42 or it may be welded or brazed thereto. The long condenser 28 formed by the conduit loops 41 extends over or traverses substantially `the entire length of metal plate 42 and this plate serves as a heat radiating surface or forms a iin for condenser 28 to augment transference of heat therefrom to the atmosphere ambient to cabinet 19. Metal plate 42 extends across the flue beneath compartment 12 and has its long side edges brazed, Welded or secured in any other suitable fashion to the upright sides of the channel irons 1S of the cabinet supporting base. Plate 42 is located intermediate the bottom of the cabinet base and the lower insulated wall of storage compartment 12 to divide the flue or tunnel into a plurality of passageways 43 and 44 one aboveand the other below the plate respectively. The metal plate 42 is bent substantially centrally thereof along its length to provide the same with a first portion 46 substantially paralleling the lower wall'of compartment 12 and a second portion 47 inclined downwardly from the lirst portion 46 thereof (see Figure 4). The condenser 28 comprises a iirst conduit coil section secured to the first portion 46 of plate 42 and a second conduit coil section secured to the inclined second portion 47 of plate 42. The disposition of portions of plate 42 as described and the coiled conduit sections of condenser 28 thereon provides a definite advantage and a new result in a structure of the type disclosed. For example, plate 42 in addition to dividing the flue or tunnel beneath compartment 12 of cabinet 19 into the two separate and distinct'air passageways 43 and 44, for more effectively removing heat from the condenser, augments flow of refrigerant cooled and liquefied in the condenser to the outlet thereof by having its portion 47 and the one condenser section thereon inclinedy downwardly. The design and arrangement of condenser 28 is such that as compressed vaporous refrigerant passes through the lirst coiled section Vthereof it begins to be cooled and isrsubstantally liquefied before entering the second coiled section of the condenser. In addition to being forced through the condenser by pressure of the compressor the circulation of this liquefied refrigerant to the condenser outlet is augmented by the inclined coiled section of condenser 2S. This is accomplished by the liquid refrigerant flowing by gravitation downwardly in the straight runs of the inclined condenser coil section. The augmented ow of condensed liquefied refrigerant is peculiar to and desirable in a structure of the type herein disclosed and is not required in other apparatuses wherein a refrigerant condenser is vertically disposed. Thus, the location of the plate-like condenser and the inclining of a portion thereof serves the double purpose'of effectively cooling same and of augmenting ow of liquid refrigerant toward the outlet thereof.

When motorcompressor unit 27 is energized to cause operation of the refrigerant compressor, motor 36 is also energized to simultaneously operate the fan or blower 37. Operation of fan 37 blows air out of the machine compartment 15 through the air outlet opening 16 in the one wall thereof and creates a suction within compartment 15 and, consequently, within the ue or tunnel beneath compartment 12 in cabinet 10. This suction induces air to enter both of the separate passageways 43 and 44 of the ue through the inlety opening oropenings 21 remote from compartment V15. The 4incoming air ows in a horizontal direction lengthwise of andy beneath compartment 12 of cabinet 10 in both passageways 43 and 44 so as to pass over the top and bottom surfaces of plate 32 and over the condenser 28 secured thereto so as to cool and condense refrigerant received inthe condenser. When the air circulating in the passageways 43 and 44 reaches the end of plate 42, adjacent the machine compartment 15, it flows upwardly into this compartment over the motor-compressor unit 27 and over the fan motor 36, to also remove heat from these heat dissipating elements. The air is thenforced, by fan or blower 37, outwardly of compartment 15 through the air outlet opening 16 in a wall of this compartment. By virtue of the low long flue in cabinet 10 being in open communication with they higher machine compartment 15 air in the flue or in the compartment does not become static when the elements of the refrigerating system stop operating. After operating elements of the refrigerating system Ystop continued heat dissipated by the condenser 28 and unit 27 creates a natural draft or thermo-Siphon circulation of air into the ue and out of the cabinet through the outlet opening 16 in the one wall of machine compartment 15 to thereby provide air circulation over the heat dissipating elements when the refrigerating system is idle.

By arranging the plate-like condenser in the ue, t0 provide an air passageway both above and below the same, and locating the air inletV opening to the ue adjacent the floor level insures that the coolest air in the room, in which the produce storage refrigerator is nstalled, will enter the two passageways and ow over both VSides, of the plate-like condenser to thus increase the cooling el`u`ciency of the condenser. The location of the air inlet and outlet openings in a relatively low horizontally elongated refrigerator cabinet of the type disclosed, as distinguishes from a vertically elongated household refrigerator cabinet, more effectively causes the heat of the condenser and of the motor-compressor unit to induce the thermo-Siphon air circulation described when the motorfcompressor unit stops operating. They advantages'of arranging the plate in the center of the flue and of bending the same longitudinally to obtain the inclined portion of the condenser are two-fold as hereinbefore explained.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of theclaims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows: v

l. In a refrigerating apparatus, a horizontally elongated cabinet having a plurality of insulated walls dividing the same into a produce Vstorage compartment provided with a top access aperture and a machine compartment at one end thereof,y a refrigerating systemassociated with said cabinet including an evaporator for cooling said storage compartment, a refrigerant translating device including a motor and a compJessor driven thereby Within said machine compartment and a condenser, conduit means means connecting said evaporator, said compressor and said condenser in closed circuit relationship, a base for supporting said cabinet, the lower insulated wall of said cabinet being spaced above the bottom of said base and forming the top wall of a flue beneath said produce storage compartment, said flue communicating at one end with said machine compartment and having an air inlet opening remote from said machine compartment at its other end, said machine compartment having an air outlet opening in one wall thereof, an impervious metal plate having its edges secured to said cabinet base and extending across said flue at least beneath and throughout the length of said produce storage compartment, said plate dividing said ue into an upper passageway and a lower passageway said plate being bent along its longitudinal length to provide the same with a rst portion substantially paralleling said lower insulated cabinet wall and a second portion inclined downwardly and laterally relative to said rst portion thereof, said condenser comprising a first conduit coil section and a second conduit coil section, said first conduit coil section of said condenser being secured to said first portion of said plate and said second conduit coil section of said condenser being secured to said inclined second portion of said plate, and means for circulating air into said ue through said inlet opening whereby to establish separate and distinct streams of air in said upper and lower passageways over said plate for cooling said condenser sections and out of said cabinet through said outlet opening in said one wall of said machine compartment.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, a horizontally elongated cabinet having a plurality of insulated walls dividing the same into a produce storage compartment provided with a top access aperture and a machine compartment at one end thereof, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including an evaporator for cooling said storage compartment, a refrigerant translating device including a motor and a compressor driven thereby within said machine compartment and a condenser, conduit means connecting said evaporator, said compressor and said condenser in closed circuit relationship, a base for supporting said cabinet, the lower insulated wall of said cabinet being spaced above the bottom of said base and forming the top wall of a ue beneath said produce storage compartment, said flue communicating at one end with said machine compartment and having an air inlet opening remote from said machine compartment at its other end, said machine compartment having an air outlet opening in one wall thereof, an impervious metal plate having its edges secured to said cabinet base and extending across said ue at least beneath and throughout the length of said produce storage compartment, said plate dividing said flue into an upper passageway and a lower passageway, said plate being bent along its longitudinal length to provide the same with a first portion substantially paralleling said lower insulated cabinet wall and a second portion inclined downwardly and laterally relative to said first portion thereof, said condenser comprising a first conduit section coiled in a direction along the length of said plate and secured to said first portion thereof, said condenser also comprising ya second conduit section coiled in a direction along the length of said plate and secured to said inclined second portion thereof, means for circulating air into said ue through said inlet opening whereby to establish separate and distinct streams of air in said upper and lower passageways over said plate for cooling said condenser and out of said cabinet through said outlet opening in said one wall of said machine compartment, and said inclined second portion of said plate augmenting the ow of refrigerant cooled and liquefied in said condenser to the outlet thereof.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet having a plurality of insulated walls dividing the same into a produce storage compartment and a machine compartment, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including an evaporator for cooling said storage compartment, a refrigerant translating device including a motor and a compressor driven thereby within said machine compartment and a condenser, conduit means connecting said evaporator, said compressor and said condenser in closed circuit relationship, a base for supporting said cabinet, the lower insulated wall of said cabinet being spaced from the bottom of said base and forming the top wall of a ue beneath said produce storage compartment, said flue communicating at one end with said machine compartment and having an opening remote from said machine compartment at its other end, said machine compartment having an opening in one wall thereof, an impervious metal plate having its edges secured to said cabinet base and extending across said iue at least beneath said produce storage compartment, said plate dividing said flue into a plurality of passageways, said plate being bent along its longitudinal length to provide the same with a first portion substantially paralleling said lower insulated cabinet wall and a second portion inclined downwardly relative to said first portion thereof, said condenser comprising a first conduit coil section and a second conduit coil section, said first conduit coil section of said condenser being secured to said first portion of said plate and said second conduit coil section of said condenser being secured to said inclined second portion of said plate, and means for inducing circulation of air into and out of said openings whereby =to establish separate and distinct streams of air over the top and bottom faces of said plate through said passageways for cooling said condenser.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet having a plurality of insulated walls dividing the same into a produce storage compartment and a machine compartment, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet including an evaporator for cooling said storage compartment, a refrigrant translating device including a motor and a compressor driven thereby within said machine compartment and a condenser, conduit means connecting said evaporator, said compressor and said condenser in closed circuit relationship, a base for supporting said cabinet, the lower insulated wall of said cabinet being spaced from the bottom of said base and forming the top wall of a ue beneath said produce storage compartment, said flue communicating at one end with said machine compartment and having an opening remote from said machine compartment at its other end, said machine compartment having an opening in one wall thereof, an impervious metal plate having its edges secured to said cabinet base and extending across said flue at least beneath said produce storage compartment, said plate dividing said ue into a plurality of passageways, said plate being bent along its longitudinal length to provide `the same with a first portion substantially paralleling said lower insulated cabinet wall and a second portion inclined downwardly relative to said first portion thereof, said condenser comprising a first conduit section coiled in a direction along the length of said plate and secured to said first portion thereof, said condenser also comprising a second conduit section coiled in a direction along the length of said plate and secured to said inclined second portion thereof, means for inducing circulation of air into and out of said openings whereby to establish separate and distinct streams of air over the top and bottom faces of said plate through said passageways for cooling said condenser, and said inclined second portion of said plate augmenting the flow of refrigerant cooled and liquefied in said condenser to the outlet thereof.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet having a plurality of insulated walls dividing the same into a produce storage compartment and a machine compartment at one end of said cabinet, a refrigerating system associated with said cabinet comprising an evaporatorvfor cooling said storage compartment, a refrigerant translating device including a plate-like condenser and conduit means connecting said evaporator, said condenser and said device in closed circuit relationship, a base for supporting said cabinet, the lower insulated wall of said cabinet being spaced from the bottom of said base and forming the top wall of a ilue beneath said produce storage compartment, one end of said flue having an opening at the machine compartment end of said cabinet and having another opening remote from said machine com artment, said plate-like condenser being disposed in said flue intermediate its top and bottom and dividing same into upper and lower passageways, said plate-like condenser being bent to provide the same with a rst portion substantially paralleling said lower insulated cabinet wall and second portion inclined relative to said rst portion thereof, said condenser comprising a first conduit sec-tion and a second conduit section, oneof said conduitjsections being associated with said rst portion of the plate-like condenser and another of said conduit sections being associated with said second portion of the plate-like condenser, means for inducing circulation of air into and out of said openings whereby to establish separate and distinct streams of air over the top and bottom faces of the said plate-like condenser through said passageways for cooling said condenser, and said inclined second portion of said plate-like condenser augmenting the flow of refrigerant in said conduit sections thereof. t

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,167,442 Alsing July 25, 1939 2,483,439 Schweller Oct. 4, 1949 2,509,294 Fruen May 30, 1950 

